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Evidence from studies in inner-city Chicago links trees and grassy areas to stronger ties among neighbors, a greater sense of safety, healthier patterns of play in children, more use of neighborhood common spaces...

Kuo, Frances E. (2003). The role of arboriculture in a healthy social ecology. Journal of Arboriculture. 29(3), 148-155.

A Dutch study found that living in a green environment was positively related to the health of residents. The effect was somewhat stronger for less-educated residents, suggesting that this group is more sensitive to...

De Vries, Sjerp, Robert A. Verheij, Peter P. Groenewegen, and Peter Spreeuwenberg. (2003). Natural Environments - Healthy Environments? An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship Between Greenspace and Health. Environment and Planning. A 35(10), 1717-1731.

Senior citizens in urban areas have a higher longevity when the environment around their home includes walkable green spaces, less noise from traffic, and when their homes have more hours of sunlight. Living near...

Takano, Takehito, Keiko Nakamura, and Masafumi Watanabe. (2002). Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: The importance of walkable green spaces. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 56(12), 913-918.

A review of 10 studies suggests that creating or enhancing access to places for physical activity, such as fitness centers or trails, combined with informational outreach, such as training on equipment or health...

Howze, Elizabeth H., Kenneth E. Powell, Elaine J. Stone, and Mummy W. Rajab. The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity: A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22, no. 4S (2002): 73-107.

In a study at a Chicago public housing development, girls living in apartments with greener, more natural views scored better on tests of self-discipline than those living in more barren but otherwise identical...

Taylor, Andrea Faber, Frances E. Kuo, and William C. Sullivan. (2002). Views of nature and self-discipline: Evidence from inner city children. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22(1), 49-63.

In a study of residents of a Chicago public housing complex, women living in buildings with trees and grass immediately outside reported committing fewer aggressive and violent acts against their partners than those...

Kuo, Frances E., and William C. Sullivan. (2001). Aggression and violence in the inner city: Effects of environment via mental fatigue. Environment and Behavior 33(4), 543-471.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms in children are relieved after spending time in nature. The greener the setting, the more the relief. When parents with children with ADD were asked to list the activities...

Taylor, Andrea Faber, Frances E. Kuo, and William C. Sullivan. “Coping with Add.” Environment and Behavior 33, no. 1 (2001): 54–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121972864.

A study of low-income urban children before and after moving to different homes found that children whose new homes had the greatest increase in views of greenery and nature also had the highest levels of cognitive...

Wells, Nancy M. (2000). At home with nature: Effects of “greenness” on children’s cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior, 32, 775-795. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160021972793

Residents at a Chicago public housing development living in buildings with more trees and grass reported that they knew their neighbors better, socialized with them more often, had stronger feelings of community...

Kuo, Frances E., William C. Sullivan, Rebekah Levine Coley, and Liesette Brunson. (1998). Fertile ground for community: Inner-city neighborhood common spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 823-851.

An experiment with 160 college student participants suggested that driving through forested scenery may help reduce stress from previous stressors and reduce stress response to subsequent stressors.

Parsons, Russ, Louis G. Tassinary, Roger S. Ulrich, Michelle R. Hebl, and Michele Grossman-Alexander. (1998). The view from the road: Implications for stress recovery and immunization. Journal of Environmental Psychology 18(2), 113–140.

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